Question

what is the difference between english system and metric system of measurement ..? answer in simple words

Answer 1

Are you looking for a comparison now, that’s to say between the Imperial system, as used primarily in the US, and the Système Internationale? Or between the English system, as it was in the 18th century compared to the (new) metric system of France?

I’m sure there are lots of good answers for the first one, including here on Quora, so I’m going to try to give a little historical context for the second answer.

In the 18th century (and before, obviously), weights and measures were standardized, if at all, around a community. Lengths were typically based, approximately, on human measurements but even that was very variable. Our inch (a “thumb”) was certainly used throughout Europe to measure small lengths. Towns usually had some control over merchants’ measures (especially volume measures which, given the power of three involved, are the easiest to cheat with) but you couldn’t expect to go from one town to another and find the same units. In short, it was a mess.

The other aspect of the English system, although this was also true of other countries, was that, for purposes of easy division, the units were typically in multiples of 2, 3, 4, sometimes 5. Not ten.

The system of weights and measures we call the metric system was initiated soon after the French Revolution in 1789. It set out not only to standardize measurements but also to use a decimal system in the various multiples. The particular task of surveying the land (in order to base the meter on the circumference of the earth) fell to two surveyors (the French version of Mason and Dixon in some respects) who carried out their surveys between 1792 and 1798. During this time their lives were, literally, in mortal danger as the new rule was by no means universally accepted in all the far flung corners of France (and Spain/Catalonia) which they had to visit.

Answer 2

Answer:

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